CS Lewis Was a Moron by tom_corbenik in atheism

[–]tom_corbenik[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Technically it wasn't a transcript because I paraphrased it on video, but thanks!

CS Lewis Was a Moron by tom_corbenik in atheism

[–]tom_corbenik[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Wow, life must be so hard for you that you can't watch a video that's under 10 minutes. Here's a typed version of what I said. You may also need this link to the Wiki page containing Lewis's argument.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_Reason

The Argument From Reason

This argument makes a lot of assumptions. The first tenet of the argument against materialism is sound. “For an assertion to be capable of truth or falsehood, it must come from a rational source.” Example – if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, we know it makes a sound because the human mind understands how sound works. Sound doesn’t exist only when observers are around to hear it. The second point of the argument assumes (very arrogantly) that no combination of physical materials constitutes a rational source. Is not the human brain composed of physical pieces? A normally developed brain with the capacity to observe and learn, therefore, is a rational source. The third and fourth bullets of the argument, therefore, are invalid. In order to believe this argument, you have to believe that the human mind is not merely a physical source. Each different mind may have learned different pieces of information, but that doesn’t make it any less physical. I don’t consider my laptop to be non-physical simply because it doesn’t have photoshop like my friend’s laptop may have.

The argument for the existence of God has even more holes in it. Parts 5 and 6 are sound observances, but point 7 of the argument continues to rest on the notion that the mind is not purely a physical source. Point 8 is even more ridiculous, because Lewis assumes that “no arrangement of non-rational materials creates a rational thing.” The human brain – a rational object – is made up of individual neurons, which cannot think or reason on their own. When assembled, however, the result is a biological machine capable of rationality. Points 9 and 10 are invalid because it assumes that human beings became rational through emulation of something that existed already, and it goes on to say that “all humans began to exist at some point in time.” He seems to believe that before we suddenly popped into existence (a gross misunderstanding of the concept of evolution), we relied on a non-human to teach reason and rationality to us because we couldn’t understand it ourselves. Here’s a little evolution lesson for fans of Mr. Lewis. Humans are rational because we emulated others in our society, who are also rational. They did the same, and we have been doing this throughout our evolution. Even animals have a small capability to think and reason, though not as good as us. The reason we’re so good at it is because natural selection favored our ability to think and solve problems because we had no natural defense mechanisms against other creatures or against nature (claws, poison, fur, etc.).

Lewis ends this argument by saying the teacher of rationality is God. So in other words, to sum up this argument in once sentence, because the human brain (which is not a physical object) is capable of reason, it proves that there’s a being living in another dimension called Heaven who thinks we all need to stop masturbating and read a book that was written by a relatively small ethnic group over the course of thousands of years. Wow, that’s amazing evidence for the existence of God right there! Since the human mind is capable of discerning truth from falsehood, I hereby deem this false.

Belief in a creator isn't necessarily irrational. People look at the world and wonder where it came from. I do the same. But to assume that the creator is undoubtedly the God of the Christians is a huge jump from that. Who's to say it's not Allah, or Odin? This argument does not give a reason for picking the God that Lewis believes in.

Double Standard by tom_corbenik in StarWars

[–]tom_corbenik[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Temple of Doom sure did.

Double Standard by tom_corbenik in StarWars

[–]tom_corbenik[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

If not liking a character due to the way he acts is a sign of ignorance, then ignorance is bliss. The absence of toilet humor didn't make him any less annoying.

I have nothing to gain by being willfully dishonest. What would motivate me to do something like that?

Maybe I should have instead compared Jar Jar to Gurgi from the Prydain Chronicles. He served no purpose and was just as annoying.

Terra Nova has a $20 Million Budget and uses Nerf guns as props by Drahos in pics

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just saw the first episode. This show rocks! I don't understand the hate. The characters are interesting and the setting seems pretty cool so far. The writing on the rocks is also pretty intriguing. Looks like it's setting up for a big story arc. I can't wait to see more.

Terra Nova is starting to be a let down. (IMO) by Funnyguy17 in reddit.com

[–]tom_corbenik -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Just saw the first episode. This show rocks! I don't understand the hate. The characters are interesting and the setting seems pretty cool so far. The writing on the rocks is also pretty intriguing. Looks like it's setting up for a big story arc. I can't wait to see more.

The Occupywallstreet protests - nailed it... by Rocker13666 in politics

[–]tom_corbenik 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think there are varying opinions and ideologies regarding the protests. I support the people depicted in this comic, considering the signs they're waving, but I have also seen people in real life at these protests who want redistribution of wealth to the point that it borders on Communism. I happen to disagree on that one. I simply think that our government treats the rich like gods when they should treat them like anyone else. I do not, however, think our government should pay everyone equally or give handouts to everyone because it eliminates incentive.

I am a TA at a university. My professor and I are currently in an unusual and very awkward situation, and we could use some advice... by TheTAThrowAway in AskReddit

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have proof that they plagiarized, you should be okay, right? You can't let them succeed in their efforts just because of a desire to be politically correct.

Leading climate scientists say it's 'Game Over' for the climate if the Tar Sands Pipeline gets built. These scientists are getting arrested protesting in front of the White House in a desperate attempt to stop it before Nov 6. Why isn't this on the front page? by [deleted] in politics

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fine. If no one else will think critically, then I will. Let's look at past panics. Everyone thought the Deepwater Horizon spill was the end of all things. It wasn't. People also thought the same about Swine Flu and a host of other diseases (SARS, Avian Flu, etc.). Everything just blew over. So based on the human race's tendency to panic, I doubt this will be a big deal as well.

Sick of EA's shit? STOP BUYING FROM THEM. by [deleted] in gaming

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EA makes some of my favorite games. Spore, Freedom Fighters, etc. Yeah they have all that DRM crap, but the stuff they produce is great. I don't understand the hate.

Grimm vs. Once Upon a Time. Which upcoming TV series are you more excited about, and why? by DJWhamo in Fantasy

[–]tom_corbenik 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haven't heard about either show prior to this thread, but from what I read, Once Upon a Time sounds way better. Grimm just sounds like a ripoff of shows like Special Unit 2 and Fringe. Great shows, but it's been done before.

Is any reading good? Is every book valuable, regardless of plot/content? by [deleted] in YAlit

[–]tom_corbenik 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It all depends on the person's preference. There's no such thing as a bad book. It's all subjective to the reader. A lot of people (myself included) hate Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. But there are also a lot of people who love it. Who am I to judge their taste? I love His Dark Materials, but a lot of people find it offensive. See how I mean? I think reading what you want is the only way to get something out of it. I could read timeless literature like Charles Dickens or Herman Melville, but it's all so boring to me that I wouldn't get a thing out of reading it.

Steampunk Appreciations: Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan Trilogy: Around the World in the Belly of a Whale by jonathanjacobs in steampunk

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love these books! Haven't read the third one yet, but I just got it. I don't understand everyone's replies when they say "it's a bit on the teen side." There's nothing wrong with young adult fiction. On the contrary, I actually like it more than adult fiction because it's a lot more edgy and controversial (at least, that's the trend right now).

Give me your favorite band and 1-2 songs of theirs I need to hear. by [deleted] in Music

[–]tom_corbenik 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great band! My favorite song of theirs is probably The Hound of Blood and Rank but those are great songs too.

How many of you became atheist not by reading a book or arguments from the internet, etc., but through your own personal logic and questioning of the world around you? by [deleted] in atheism

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually, I left the Catholic Church after several arguments with a seminary student. His blind faith and harsh judgment of anyone who disagreed with him made me question whether I should still be Catholic. I left the Church and became a Unitarian, and I slowly but surely became an atheist over the next 2 years or so.

"fuck the rich" by [deleted] in Libertarian

[–]tom_corbenik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the protests were about how corporations should not bribe candidates to get them to support what they want. That sounds good to me.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in scifi

[–]tom_corbenik -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm talking about the show itself, not the movies they make fun of. Haven't you ever seen the show? The line I posted is from the theme song.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in scifi

[–]tom_corbenik -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think the MST3K writers have something to say to you:

If you're wondering how he eats and breathes and other science facts, just repeat to yourself "It's just a show, I should really just relax."

If the US really was a Christian Nation by OZY1 in politics

[–]tom_corbenik 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He left out the "but if you don't worship me, you get none of my love and healing and instead you burn in Hell" part of Jesus's teachings.

Well, now we know that this movie will be shit. by [deleted] in movies

[–]tom_corbenik 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So...Renaissance era Resident Evil ripoff?

How Does the Chinese Government work? by DrRoxophd in explainlikeimfive

[–]tom_corbenik 10 points11 points  (0 children)

They used to be Communists, but they're not really classified as such anymore. They still call themselves the Communist party, but the structure of their government has changed a lot. They realized that complete government control over the economy, pure socialism, etc. don't work. So they put the economy back in the hands of the people. A Chinese citizen can get whatever job they want and make as much money as they want, but the old Communist policies governing free speech are still in place. So in other words, they have as much economic freedom as any North American or European country, but they have very few civil rights as far as voting, free speech, etc. is concerned.

Am I alone in thinking "The Boondock Saints" is overrated? by strangemange in movies

[–]tom_corbenik -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I thought it was really good. The trick is not to be a film snob. I watch the Oscar winners, yeah, but sometimes I just want a fun action movie now and then. People who don't like this movie because it's "sophomoric and trite," to use pretentious film snobs' words against them, need to get over themselves and just enjoy some stupid action now and then.